Automated T-Ball batting tee baseball stand for little league teams

ABSTRACT

Automated T-Ball batting tee baseball stand for little league teams is disclosed. Having an automated stand with remote control and foot switches speeds up play of little league games and practice by removing the physical time it takes for the coach to make the manual adjustments. The coach can adjust the setting for each player quickly which is also an improvement for helping the young players learn how to swing the bat and hit the ball.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Problem Solved: Beginning little league baseball players (boys and girlsages under 6) hit the ball on T-Ball stand that has to be manuallyadjusted for the height of each player to match their swing plane.

The manual T-Ball stands take 2 hands to adjust the height of the standand it requires someone to take the time to go to the stand at homeplate. If the coach is standing where a pitcher would stand he/she hasto walk to home plate to make the adjustment.

Having an automated stand with remote control speeds up play andpractice by removing the physical time it takes for the coach to makethe manual adjustments. The coach can adjust the setting for each playerquickly which is also an improvement for helping the young players learnhow to swing the bat and hit the ball. The automated T-Ball unit willalso have up and down foot switches integrated into the base of the unitso the height of tee can be adjusted with the press of the foot on theswitch.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Current manual T-Ball batting tees require 2 hands to adjust the heightof tee for each player at bat during a game. The coach normally has aglove on one hand during the game. As the T-Ball batting tees are usedthey become hard to adjust due to sand interfering with the tightfriction of the extendable tubes.

One object of the present invention is to give the T-Ball coaches aneasy to use adjustable tee that can quickly change the height of the teefor each for each batter. This gives the coach more time to focus on thebatter and speeds up play which gives batter more chances at bat.

Another object of the present invention is to have a reliable tee thatwill not become difficult to use over time from sand and dirt on theplaying field.

A still further object of the present invention is for the coach to beable to adjust the height of the tee even if he is not near the batter.Placing the ball on the tee does not take skill but the coaches skill isneeded to set the height for the batter to improve his or her battingsuccess at the entry level little league.

Another object of the present invention is to look similar to the manualT-Ball tees which are the current standard for little league games.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to have a mechanism tomanually make height adjustment if there is a problem with theautomation mechanism of the tee.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the present invention with a view ofthe enclosure for the remote receiver and transmitter, momentary footswitches, and power supply.

FIG. 2 shows a side by side view of the present invention to demonstratethe automation adjustment of the T-Ball tee.

FIG. 3 shows an inline side rail actuator and how it can be connectedinside the T-Ball tube that will be raised and lowered to change theheight of the ball.

FIG. 4 shows the enclosure and components that contain the remotereceiver, momentary foot switch and power supply.

FIG. 5 shows the base in the shape of home plate and the lock collarsfor the actuator and enclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As stated above, beginning little league baseball players (ages under 6)hit the ball on T-Ball stand that has to be manually adjusted for theheight of each player to match their swing plane. The invention claimedhere solves this problem.

The automated T-Ball stand FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 allows coaches to adjustthe height of the stand to the desired position by using a remotecontrol switch to raise and lower the stand using a motorized mechanism.The age group of T-Ball players is four to six and they come in a widerange of heights. This function makes it easier and faster for coachesto adjust the height of the T-Ball stand for each player during theirturn at bat during a game. This device can also be used for practice.

The claimed invention differs from what currently exists. I have notfound any automated T-Ball stand on my market searches. They are allmanually adjusted. The patents that state improvements to batting teesare focused on the older more experienced players and their swingpractice. The automation stated in some of the disclosures are veryhelpful for practice but cannot be used in a little league game. Patentsfound that can be used in little league games were all manuallyadjusted. The following examples improve upon batting practice tees ornon automated tees that could be used in a little league baseball game.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,821,322 to Jorgens, et al., September 2014, Adjustablebatting tee having a removably attachable base mechanism.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,747,258 to Durham et al., June 2014, Batting Tee.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,246,492 to Gangelhoff, August 2012, Baseball/softballbatting tee.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,878,077 to Andrews, April 2005, Baseball trainingdevice.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,425,352 to Loduca et al., April 2013, Mechanicalbaseball tee.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,992,348 to Meier et al., March 2015, Training device,system and method for improving a baseball player's swing of a baseball.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,736,246 to Lortscher, January 2006, Baseball bat swingtraining aid.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,823 to Prieto, February 1995, Adjustable baseballbatting tee.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,429 to Pecoraro et al., July 2002, Automated battingtee apparatus.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,445 to Tanner, January 2004, Durable Batting Tee forBaseball.

This invention is an improvement on what currently exists. I have notfound any automated T-Ball stand on my market searches. They are allmanually adjusted.

During baseball games and baseball practice the stand needs to beadjusted for each player or left at an average position which may not bethe best for each player. It takes time away from practicing or gametime if the adjustment is done manually. It hinders a tall or shortplayer if the coach does not adjust the height during practice or thegame. Having an automated stand with remote control speeds up play andpractice by removing the physical time it takes for the coach to makethe manual adjustments. The coach can adjust the setting for each playerquickly which is also an improvement for helping the young players learnhow to swing the bat and hit the ball.

The Version of the Invention Discussed here Includes:

1.12 volt, 10-12 inch linear slide rail actuator 30 used to move theinner tube 12 of the stand up and down to raise the height of thebaseball 14. The power supply 49 needs to support the requirements ofthe actuator 30 and remote control system (receiver) 47.

2. 12 volt battery power supply (rechargeable) 49 for actuator 30 andremote control system 47.

3. Remote control system 47 attached to the T-Ball stand base 10 tocontrol the movement of the up and down motion of the stand as shown inFIG. 2. The remote switches 15 are momentary.

4. Momentary (DPDT) foot switches 48 including foot pedal 40 to allowfor using the automated control of the actuator without the remotecontrol system.

5. The inner tube 12 that is connected to the actuator 30 and moves upand down. The tube 12 can also be released from the actuator 30 if thereis a mechanical/electrical problem. The actuator side rail connector 35is pressure fit to an inner tube slot 31 and can be released by turningthe top of the inner tube 12. The tube can then be adjusted up and downsimilar to standard T-Ball stands.

6. FIG. 4 shows the top of the enclosure case 16 with the foot pedal 40,the wiring connection 41 for the power cord connector from the actuator32, connector to recharge the power supply 43, power on/off button withLED 42 to indicate the power is on. FIG. 5 shows the opened bottom viewof the enclosure case 16 that holds the 12 volt power supply 49,momentary foot switches 48, and remote control system 47. The componentsare accessed from the bottom plate 44 by removing the four screws 46from the plate. The plate, FIG. 6, has a pressure fit collar 45 toattach the enclosure case 16 to the hole in the base 50.

Relationship Between the Components:

The automated T-Ball stand FIG. 1 will look similar to a current manualT-Ball stands. The manual stands have a rubber tube attached to a rubberbase that looks like home plate. It has a second tube that fits into theouter base tube and is manually adjusted up and down. The baseball sitson top of the second tube. The proposed system has a side rail linearactuator 30 with an inline motor 34 including the gears 33 to move therail connector 31 up and down resulting in moving the inner tube 12 upand down inside the outer base tube 11. The inner tube 12 is insertedinto the outer base tube 11 will attach to the actuator 30. The actuator30 fits in the hole in the locking collar 51 in the base 10 and theouter tube 11 slides over the inner tube 12 and locks into the collar51. There is a slot in the collar 51 to allow for the power cord 32 fromthe actuator motor 34 to connect to the enclosure case 16. The innertube 12 has a smaller tube 13 attached at the top for the baseball 14 tosit on.

The actuator 30 will connect to the remote control system 47 that isattached to the base 10 of the T-Ball stand by the power cord connector32. The remote control system 47 is connected to the 12 volt powersupply 49 that is also housed inside the enclosure case 16 attached tothe base 10 of the T-Ball stand. The remote switches 15 that are part ofthe remote control system 47 are momentary RF wireless up and downswitches that control the movement of the inner tube 12 to adjust theheight for each player. The actuator 30 automatically stops at the topof its movement and the bottom of its movement. The foot switches 40 areintegrated into the enclosure case 16 that is attached to the home platebase 10 so that the actuator 30 can be used by pressing the up (+)switch or the down (−) switch 40 to control the height of the T-Ballstand FIG. 2. The foot switches 48 are connected to the power supply 49and actuator 30 to control the up and down motion. When one foot switch(+ or −) 40 is pressed it disconnects the remote unit 47 and the otherswitch (+ or −) 40.

How the Invention Works:

Automation of a T-Ball baseball stand FIG. 1 needs to be able to adjustthe height of the stand for each baseball player so that the ball 14that sits on top of the stand (tube 13) is at the proper height for eachplayer. The height difference between four and six year old baseballplayers (boys and girls) can vary quite a lot. Automation of the T-Ballstands requires the five components to be connected.

The actuator 30 will be contained within the outer base tube 11. Theactuator 30 will be connected to the remote control system 47 and thefoot switches 48 that are enclosed in the case 16 and attached to thebase 10. The inner tube 12 fits inside the outer base tube 11 and isconnected to the actuator 30 side rail system 35 shown in FIG. 3. It isthe inner tube 12 connected to tube 13 that moves up and down with theball 14 sitting on top to adjust to the batters swing plane.

The remote control system 47 and the foot switches 48 are enclosed inthe case 16 that is attached to the base 10 and connected to the 12 voltpower supply 49 and to the actuator motor 34. The remote controlswitches 15 that come with the remote control system 47 are controlledby the coach to adjust height of the T-Ball stand to the appropriateswing plane of the batter. The remote switches 15 are momentary so themovement of the inner tube 12 will go up or down as long as the up ordown button is pressed. The actuator 30 stops moving as soon as thebutton is released. If the actuator side rail 35 reaches the maximumheight or lower limit the actuator 30 stops automatically. The opposingremote switch 15 (up or down button) needs to be pressed to move theactuator 30 in the opposite direction. The height adjustment will moveapproximately from 21 to 33 inches high. The range can vary by thelength of the actuator 30. The momentary foot switches 48 can also beused to control the actuator by pressing the up (+) or down (−) switch40 to adjust the height. The foot switch 40 can be used if the coach orassistant coach is setting up the ball 14 for the player. If the batteryin the remote switch 15 needs to be replaced the foot switch 48 willwork. If the 12 volt power supply 49 needs to be recharged the innertube 12 can be released from the actuator 30 and moved up and downmanually so there is no interruption to the game.

How to Make the Invention:

The components can be purchased off the shelf to build a functioningautomated T-Ball stand. This can be done by purchasing the actuator 30,power supply 49, remote control system 47, two momentary foot switchesor integrated switches 48, and a manual T-Ball stand FIG. 1. Productionunits should have a molded base 10 that will have the connections (50and 51)for the enclosure case 16, actuator 30, and outer tube 11. Thepower supply 49, remote receiver 47, and the foot switches 48 areconnected and contained inside the enclosure case 16. The actuator 30needs to be integrated into the inner tube 12. The actuator power cord32 connects to enclosure case 16 which connects to the remote controlsystem 47 and foot switches 48 which connect to the to the power supply49. The inner tube 12 needs to be a tube that will move freely up anddown the outer tube 11 while connected to the rail slide actuator 31.The inner tube 12 will have a slot 35 created in the inside of the tubewhere it connects to the side rail connector 31. The downward pressurewhen sliding the inner tube 12 over the actuator 30 will lock the tubein place. The depth of the slot 35 is graduated from side to side so itcan be released by twisting the inner tube 12 to manually adjust theheight if there is a problem with automation system.

The actuator 30 and power supply 49 are mandatory. The foot switches 48attached to the power supply 49, actuator 30 and the output wires of theremote receiver 47 could be used instead of using the remote controlsystem 47. The foot switch 48 will disconnect any power going to theremote control system's 47 output wires while a foot switch 40 ispressed. The integrated foot switches 40 can be used by the assistantcoaches who are setting up the stand at home plate or if the coach leftthe remote switch 15 at home or the remote switch battery has died.Using the foot switch 40 is a simple and fast automated way to adjustthe height.

A more complex actuator combination could be designed to move the actualbase tube 11 to various positions relative the base 10 which is the sizeof home plate. This would add value for teaching hitting the balls thatare closer or farther away from the batter.

A unit could also be designed with sensors to automatically choose aheight setting for the batter.

An automated ball set up mechanism could be added so the batter couldhit more than one ball. There are hoppers of balls for batting tees butthey would need to be redesigned to fit the automated T-Ball stand forheight adjustments.

Inexpensive rechargeable power supplies 49 make the unit moreaffordable. The power supply should have an LED indicator inline 43 toshow if the battery needs to be charged. The actuator could be modifiedto use a flexible mechanism to reduce cost and weight instead of usingan off the shelf industrial strength actuator. This would be key to massproducing the automated T-Ball stand.

The unit can be made without the remote control system 47 and only usethe foot switches 40 connected to the enclosure case 16 that isconnected to the T-Ball Stand. This reduces costs but also reduces thevalue by requiring the coach to have to walk to the T-Ball stand forevery adjustment.

How to use the Invention:

Coach turns presses the power on switch 42 and the Coach or user pressesthe up or down button on the remote switch 15 and the height of the ballchanges as the actuator 30 moves the second inner tube 12 up and down.The ball can be sitting on the tube 13 while the coach adjusts theheight with the remote switch 15 for each batter. The automated T-Ballstand can be used for games or practice. The batters will be ready tobat sooner than with the manual T-Ball stand. The height can also beadjusted by using the foot switches 40.

1. A T-Ball little league baseball game playing apparatus for littleleague games comprising: a base member, a support member mountedperpendicularly to said base member, said support member including anactuator to raise and lower the height of said support member, automatedmeans for adjusting and setting the vertical height of said supportmember, a ball holding member connected to the top of said supportmember, a protective covering member to protect the actuator of saidball support member, a removable enclosure holding rechargeable batteryto power the actuator, on/off lighted switch, remote control receiverand foot switches to control said support member, a remote controltransmitter to control said actuator.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1wherein said actuator is contained within the flexible hollow tube ofsaid support member allowing for the movement to raise and lower theheight of said ball holding member.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 whereinsaid ball holding member is a hollow flexible tube that has an diameterlarge enough to hold a baseball.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 whereinsaid base member, said support member with said protective member, andsaid enclosure are removable.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein saidprotective covering member is impact resistant to protect said actuator.6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support member can be manuallyadjusted if there is a mechanical/electrical problem.
 7. The apparatusof claim 1 wherein the said means to automate the said actuator movementis through the said remote control unit and said foot switches.